Shichibi no Suzaku
by Falconfire
Summary: There's the Shukaku and the Kyuubi, but what of the other seven Biju? One girl on Team Gai is soon to discover that she harbors something more than a mere penchant for weaponry. So begins the tale of the Seven Tailed Phoenix. [NejixTenxGaara]
1. Prologue

Another lovely fic for my fans. It's not a one-shot, though. Tenten centric, with a pairing that is yet to be decided.

Disclaimer: Don't own.

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**Shichibi no Suzaku**

--**_  
_**

**_Prologue_****  
**

_Once upon a time, when all the wild beasts and demons walked the land, there were the nine most powerful of all. They were the legendary Biju, the tailed demons. Their powers were in direct correlation with the number of tails they had, from the weakest, the Ichibi no Shukaku, to the greatest, the Kyuubi no Yoko. _

_Year after year, the Biju would ravage the lands, causing destruction and war, until it was mutually, albeit silently, agreed among all the countries, warring and allied, that that the demons were becoming dangerously uncontrollable, and desperately needed to be sealed away. Naturally, the job fell among the shinobi._

_Although the arduous task took hundreds of years and thousands of lives to complete, in the end, the nine Biju were each, in their own turn, captured and sealed into human infants, except for the Sanbi no Isonade, the three-tailed, who, being of water, escaped into the abyss within the murky recesses of the bottomless sea, where he became known to sailors over the world as the Kraken._

_The babies unknowingly became the vessels for the terrible beasts, and were dubbed Jinchuriki, human sacrifices that they were, true to the name. They were, logically, to be respected, for the sacrifice they made of their lives for the good of mankind. They were also to be feared, for the powers of the Biju not so subtly leaked through to the skills of the shinobi that the children became. _

_It seemed, at first, that the crisis of the devastating Biju were at last solved, at all rejoiced, until on a dark, gloomy night, one of the Jinchuriki, the carrier of the Gobi no Houkou, or Five-tailed Hound, fell to an illness of the heart. He was dead by morning, and the people were forced to ponder the whereabouts of the Biju. In the best case, the demon would be gone as well, but Lady Fate was not so kind. _

_Two days after the death, the Houkou was once again tearing through the Land of Rain. It had to be subdued once more, and sealed within another. And thus, another problem was mounted. Each time a Jinchuriki passed away, the monster within was freed, and the process had to be repeated. _

_This caused severe tension for families with young infants whenever a vessel died. The Jinchuriki, although both revered and dreaded, were not loved, and most grew up to be bitter, hardened killers. Naturally, parents were not thrilled with the idea that their child could become a possible Jinchuriki, and Kage were hard pressed to find willing sacrifices, so they had no option but to choose at random. It, however, seemed to melt into an insignificant issue when compared with the well being of all the lands. _

_And so begins the history of the legacy of the Biju and Jinchuriki. _

--

A wide-eyed little girl gazed up at the storyteller in rapt attention, awe glittering in her dark eyes, entranced by the tale her mother weaved.

"Mama, are the Biju really, really, bad monsters?" Her soft voice held just the barest tremors of childish fear, the fear that young children had for the concept of creatures lurking under the bed.

Her mother paused momentarily to consider the innocent query, as she did with all inquiries aimed her way. Her fingers, worn from a lifetime of writing and calligraphy, were gentle in smoothing down a stray wisp of chocolate hair that had managed to escape the two tiny buns on her daughter's head.

"No, Tenten-chan, I don't believe so. I think they just were what they were made to be, and acted as their natures made them act. They were just themselves, and cannot be labeled evil for that." Her thoughtful reply held the quality, not of a practical kunoichi, but that of an open-minded scholar of noble birth.

The five-year-old girl, Tenten, bowed her head a little, attempting to digest this slippery fragment of knowledge that, unbeknownst to her, held far too much philosophy in it for someone of her age and naivety to comprehend. After a while, she gave up trying, choosing instead to store the data away in the niches of her mind, and turned her awareness back to her mother.

"Could you name all of the Biju, mama?" She gave a slightly pouting smile.

The addressed woman smiled in return, and obliged.

"There is the Ichibi no Shukaku, Nibi no Nekomata, the wild Sanbi no Isonade, Yonbi no Soko, Gobi no Houkou, Rokubi no Raiju, Shichibi no Suzaku, Hachibi no Hachimata, and our Kyuubi no Yoko of Konoha."

Tenten was quiet for a moment, before she happily chirped, "I like the Shichibi no Suzaku best! It sounds so pretty…a Seven-tailed Fire Bird…" She stared dreamily into space.

The older woman cast her an uncharacteristically sharp glance.

"And so you should, my dear…so you should." She murmured.

"What?" The girl had not caught the phrase.

"Never mind. I shall tell you about it in time. Off to bed with you now! It's almost nine, you know." Abruptly changing the subject, she picked her squealing daughter up and proceeded to carry her to her bedroom.

"Mama?" The tiny voice peeped up again when Tenten was finally tucked in tight, small hands peeking out over the top of the blanket, clutching tightly to the jade-colored fabric.

"Yes, dear?"

"I miss Papa." Big, shady eyes suddenly glimmered with unshed tears.

Mother allowed daughter another one of her soft smiles. "I miss him too. But you know he won't be back until the end of the month."

Tenten's bottom lip quivered. "I know. But I wish his missions weren't so long."

The woman's smile saddened a bit at that, while her eyes seemed to become distant, gazing into a past that only she could perceive.

"Yes, but that is the life he chose when he became a shinobi. And this is the life I chose when I married him." She added quietly under her breath.

Snapping out of her dreamlike trance, she bent down and kissed her daughter on the forehead, murmuring playfully, "If you want a bedtime story tomorrow, sleep tight, and _don't_ sneak to the kitchen for another midnight snack."

Dark brown eyes widened in childish horror at the revelation that her mother had discovered her nighttime escapades.

"I won't, Mama. I promise, because I really like stories." She vowed solemnly.

Her mother smiled softly, and closed the door behind her with a familiar _snick_.

Tenten did not know, had no way of knowing, that it would be the last time her mother ever told her a story.

--

The next day, there was a tan envelope pinned to their front door.

The little girl watched as her mother took it down with barely suppressed trembling fingers.

She watched those same nimble digits that so deftly wove paintings of bamboo and tigers remove the Hokage's seal, and unfold the parchment.

Emerald green eyes, lit with a desperate hope, scanned the sheet, before it dropped out of her hands, the worst being confirmed.

Her vision, now hazy, barely skimmed over the figure standing beside her, before she raced back to her room with the frenzy of a woman driven mad by grief.

Tenten's eyes followed her mother's shape disappearing up the stairs before she kneeled down to pick up the perverse page that had so changed her Mama's usually serene, unhurried countenance.

The message had only five words.

_He's gone. I'm so sorry._

_-Sandaime Hokage_

--

Mama never told another story after that. It was as if the radiance of life, which had once so reassuringly glowed within her, had been suddenly extinguished with those five little words.

Of course, she would still take care of her daughter, but the movements and uttered phrases became mechanical, with none of the old comfort behind the actions.

Tenten would never say that her mother was cruel to her during those misery-ridden months. Mama never did anything like that. It was just that lack of substance behind the now empty smiles, and the little girl's conviction that her Mama was somehow lost within the folds of her own memory.

Her mother tried to hang herself by the cemetery not to long after that. If Kurenai-san had not recognized the odd blur of shapes from a distance… They had to forcibly drag her, screaming, away from the noose and to the hospital, where for three days and nights, she neither ate or slept, choosing instead to waste away her awareness either raving at the world or sobbing her heart out.

After the incident, her relatives from the capital came to take her back to the main house, especially with her prominent father worried about the stability of her mentality.

Tenten did not go with her Mama. Tenten no longer knew her Mama.

She, on the other hand, did not press the issue, either. It was as if she had forgotten she had a daughter.

The little bun-headed girl watched, peeking from behind the wooden doorframe of the now eerily deserted house, as they helped her last parent into the carriage. One dainty foot, then the other, followed by the elaborate train of her noblewoman kimono, before the door closed, and the latch slid shut with a unyielding _thunk_.

She did not look back from the window at the child silhouetted against the white walls of the house – the little girl who she was forcing into adulthood at the age of five.

Tenten watched the procession shrink in size until it vanished along the horizon. It would be the last time she watched as her mother leaves, fading from her life just as surely as she dissolved into a tiny dot, and was no more to human eyes.

She did not cry.

It was on that day, with the absence of visible tears on her cheeks, that Tenten first began to be aware of the small, burning flame flickering quietly above her heart.

--

If it were not for Kurenai-san, Tenten did not know what she would have done. Yes, contrary to popular belief in her later years, Tenten was not utterly alone for those years of her life from her mother's departure to her Academy days.

The Hokage, Sarutobi-sensei, after being informed of what had occurred, sent a guardian over to protect and nurse the newly orphaned child. Kurenai-san was not the perfect mother as Mama had been while sane, what with her small addiction to alcohol and procrastination, but she was a good Aunty, and a brilliant first sensei.

It was Kurenai-san who bought and sharpened her first kunai for her. It was Kurenai-san who placed her callused palm over chubby fingers and maneuvered the awkwardly amateur fingers into the correct position for throwing. It was Kurenai-san who added logs and stoked the fire that now burned confidently in the budding girl's heart.

It was Kurenai-san who inspired her to become a kunoichi.

Those four years were probably some of the best in young Tenten's life, but as with all pleasant things, it was forced to come to an end.

Kurenai-san was chosen by the Academy to become a mentor for the young, newly graduated Genin. It was the same year that Tenten would join the ranks of optimistic potential shinobi in said Academy. The kind-hearted Jounin offered to decline the job offer to take care of Tenten, but the girl insisted that she could tend to her life on her own.

She was only nine at the time.

--

Three years later, Tenten passed the Final Exam in the Academy on her first attempt, ranking ninth among the twenty new graduates. Within a week, she was one of the year's Rookie Nine Genin, although that, as grudgingly as she admitted it, was probably courtesy of the Hyuuga prodigy stationed within her three-man squad.

The former Chuunin exams were when all the seals surrounding Suzaku were sliced apart by her rage.

Her first sign of the Fire Demon came in the form of an impossibly fast recovery. Tsunade had sworn that, even with a miracle, she would be bedridden from her fight with Temari for at least a week. In her resentment, Suzaku thrived. Tenten was up and training the next evening.

Thoroughly occupied with her intense focus on bettering herself and the subtle spying on her white-eyed teammate, Tenten did not notice her nails growing abnormally long, or that they were becoming just slightly curved. She failed to detect the crimson rings that now glowed around her inky irises, and blamed the golden undertones in her once-pale skin on training in the sun too much with Neji. She paid no heed when she discovered that Soushouryu no longer drained her of all her chakra, and that she could now move on to stronger Jutsus.

On the fourteenth day of the fifth moon, Shichibi no Suzaku tired of waiting for her ignorant Jinchuriki and decided to make her presence known to the world – her style.

On the twelfth day of the fifth moon, with the issuance of a new mission for Team Gai, our tale begins.

**TBC... **

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Walla. Dun dun dun...and the prologue ends. Wow, what a long prologue. Yay for a motherly Kurenai! Um...tell me what pairing you guys want.

I got the idea froma Wikipedia entry on Biju, or the Tailed Demons. Here are all of them for your perusal.

Ichibi no Shukaku - One-tailed Raccoon

Nibi no Nekomata - Two-tailed Cat

Sanbi no Isonade - Three-tailed Fish

Yonbi no Soko - Four-tailed Cockatrice

Gobi no Houkou - Five-tailed White Hound

Rokubi no Raiju - Six-tailed Thunder Weasel

Shichibi no Suzaku - Seven-tailed Fire Bird

Hachibi no Hachimata - Eight-tailed Dragon

Kyuubi no Yoko - Nine-tailed Fox

--

Reviews are appreciated!


	2. Awaken

Holy...wow. You people rock! 24 reviews for one chapter! -_cries and huggles all her reviewers_-

**Falcon:** -_shaking Gaara plushie_- Can you believe it?...! -_cries some more_-

This is for all you awesome people!

**Shichibi no Suzaku**

**-**

**Awaken**

"…It is a B-Ranked mission, nothing really dangerous, just fussy and time-consuming." A rather large-busted blonde woman looked up momentarily from the notes she held in her hand, at the shinobi before her, before continuing, "So, do you accept?"

A man with a rounded bobble-head haircut and rather prominent eyebrows spoke for all four of the group, "Of course, Tsunade-sama! May the spirit of youth guide our path!"

"…Not that we have much choice in the matter." A boy with stony white eyes remarked cynically.

The girl beside him, now fifteen, dark brown hair tied up in the distinctive two tight buns, elbowed him roughly between the ribs before he could contribute more of his pessimistic sarcasm.

He turned his emotionless gaze on her and glared, a frown tugging at his lips. In response, she stuck her tongue out playfully.

"Yosh! To Sunagakure it is, then!" A young boy clad in a…_unique_ green one-piece suit with a haircut bizarrely similar to the older man was much more optimistic about the endeavor than his raven-haired teammate.

Tenten sighed, shaking her head at his antics, while smiling softly to herself at Lee's seemingly tireless vigor.

As the four parted their separate ways to prepare their packs for the four-day trek, the brown-haired Chuunin ran the details of their briefing through her mind again.

Sunagakure, the great village lost amidst the sand dunes of the west – deceitfully beautiful, and the location for their next task.

It seemed that there was a woman who had recently acquired, as she boasted, two birds born of the "Red Sand", who, despite clipped tongues, possessed voices so entrancing they could wake the dead. More unnerving, however, was that far too many civilians were claiming to have witnessed the deed being done, dispersing the original claim of a rumor born to untamed imaginations. On the other hand, if it was true…tampering with the natural cycle of life was disastrous at best. All in all, it seemed a very fishy business.

They were to keep to the shadows and observe, not interfering with anything. Secrecy was the key here. If there really was necromancy going around, Konoha was to know of it.

The three newly made Chuunin, Neji, Lee and herself, would be the main contributors to the information. Gai was sent in as a leader (this being their first undercover espionage mission) and as backup, in case anything did turn up. There was a great possibility the target was in some way affiliated with a black market. When the assignment contained the execution of impossible Jutsu, such as raising the dead, who knew what could happen?

Tenten frowned to herself at this thought. Neji had perfected his Byakugen to now envelop a range of 359 degrees, an impressive feat in itself for a boy of his age. Coupled with numerous other skills exclusive to the Hyuuga bloodline, he was a weapon to be feared. To underestimate Lee for his lack of chakra control would be setting yourself a death trap and waltzing straight into it. And she, Tenten, had now perfected the Soushouryu to the point where, implementing a tremendous amount of chakra, (God knows where she drew it from) she could force metal to slice _through_ natural elements, like wind, wood, water and fire, among others, without influencing the path of the weapon.

So with all this skill, did they really require a Jounin to accompany them on a mission that didn't even necessitate physical combat?

She supposed she should've been grateful that Konoha had Jounin to spare in this era of strained peace, but she'd wanted the chance to be independent, relying solely on her own skill and people of equal status as herself. Tenten did not know when this need to prove her autonomy first began, but she did know that, as of these past few weeks, a sense of anxious restlessness had begun pervading her mind, eating away at her focus. It was as if something within her was trying to enlighten her to the fact that an extraordinary event was coming, a great change, a cornerstone on the road of life, and she had better be prepared.

For a few moments, she could barely just grasp a wisp of the meaning, finding substance in the murky crevasses of her consciousness, before it would flit away again, a creature of air, taunting her. There was something, some_one_, if she dared to entertain the thought, confined to a psychological cage within her mind, and every time she was so close to discovering the key, so close she could nearly taste it, a flurry of wings would surround the object of her chase, and when she found the spot again, the nameless entity would be gone.

Some perception urged her, find it, you must find it, but try as she may, it slipped her grasp every time, a feather-thin thought, carried away by a nonexistent wind. The exigency of the pressure strained her thoughts, hampering her usually agile mind.

All the philosophy aside, it was irritating her. As in, A LOT. The journey was to be on foot, with minimal packs to ensure swiftness. She would not have room to carry three bottles of aspirin.

Grumbling to herself at the prospect of four days (Imagine! Four, no, wait for it, _four _entire DAYS)without the medicine that had now seemingly developed into her lifeline to sanity, Tenten rummaged around the numerous pockets in her green Chunnin vest before pulling out a handful of silver keys.

If only the mystery swirling through her mind could be solved by something as substantial as these bits of metal. Alas, Fate did not seem to favor her much these days.

Such thoughts ran through the skeptical girl's mind as the lock clicked open and she stepped into the small house still haunted by remnants of memories of its once whole family.

Sighing once again, she reached over and subtly adjusted the little picture frame by the mantelpiece – her most prized possession in the world. (Yes, even more so than her weapons.)

Mama's soft smile and Papa's distinctively unwavering dark eyes, mirroring her own, gazed back at her. Tenten felt a rush of hot energy surging toward her eyes.

Before she became sentimental again, she wrenched her thoughts away from recollections with a violent burst of will. Settling her attention back to concentrate on the task at hand, she began to pack.

--

A small rucksack slung across her shoulders, the Chuunin vest, and twin katana strapped across her back were all that she needed. Her teammates were equipped just as lightly. Gai was nowhere to be seen.

She looked to Neji, the inquiry in her eyes, which he answered with a shrug toward the tree stump that marked the meeting place.

Picking up the scrap of paper, her eyes skimmed the page:

_Something came up. Genma, Kurenai, and I have been called to another mission, more urgent. But no worries, my youthful students! I have trust that your burning flames will guide your path in your own assignment. Good luck! _

_-Gai_

In her mind's eye, Tenten could just imagine the blinding smile sure to follow the speech, complete with sound effects: _ping!_

Dropping the note into one of her pockets, she nodded to her teammates. "Well, Neji, Lee, it seems we are now on our own."

"Hn. Cut the speech and let's just go." Neji was blunt as always, before he leapt onto of the trees near the forest edge.

Tenten feigned mock hurt at his attitude, and looked over to Lee for support, who only gave her a sheepish smile. Neji motioned for them to hurry, they didn't have all day, hence the two bounded up to join him, whereas they sped off, insubstantial shadows in the trees.

--

Two days of travel, and everything was going agreeably well.

"Neji! Are we close to the border of the Land of Wind and Fire yet?" Lee shouted over to their assumed squad leader as he moved to another branch. They had still kept to the cover of the trees, both for concealment as well as relief from the heat.

"We should get there any minute." Was his reply.

Tenten stayed silent, sharp eyes scouting for any signs of discord. She noticed none, until far ahead, there came the bright glint of metal. Eyes widening, her body reacted before her mind could comprehend what was happening.

"GUYS! Oh, shi–" Her legs instinctively kicked off the tree branch, body contorting into an aerial backbend as a barbed arrow skimmed past her shoulder blades, where her throat had been a moment before. She felt the current of air created from its passing.

Dropping to the ground, Tenten muttered an inaudible "Kuso," heart still racing from the abruptness of the attack. She sensed rather than saw her two companions drop down to flank her.

Seeing as the enemy knew of their position and had arrows, Lee crossed the possibility of surprise retaliation off his mental list and called out, "Who goes?"

Two shapes emerged murkily from the surrounding foliage, while another jumped down from the trees, holding a bow. Two men and a woman – she had a yellow ponytail while the darker locks of other two contrasted starkly with their pale skin and olive eyes. Their forehead protectors were blank, but Tenten had an inkling they would know what village the intruders were from soon enough.

"So, Konoha has finally sent out nin to inspect the Birds of the Red Sand." The man's eyes glinted brightly, as though consumed with fever.

Tenten knew the silent query in the comment. _Are you, or are you not, those sent to scrutinize the birds?_ Tensing up, but knowing that silence was the best answer in this situation, she prayed the man had not noticed her telltale movement.

Unfortunately for her, these were trained ninja, and all three caught the subtle sign. The woman's mouth twitched slightly, and she shrugged, "I thought as much."

With those words, and no preparation whatsoever, they attacked.

Despite the weightiness of their predicament, the bun-headed girl had noticed the blonde woman's eyes straying hungrily to her white-eyed teammate, and for some reason, this filled her with adrenaline a little too swiftly.

No, no, it couldn't possibly be that. It must be the fact that she had smartly snapped open two green-spotted fans, each looking remarkably like miniature versions of Temari's. That was the last detail she recalled before the unexpected bloodlust of battle took her.

The next thing Tenten knew, Soushouryu Kaze was ripping through that bothersome woman's futile wind fans, slicing that shining, sun-bleached golden mane to shreds, but there was no blood, and the suddenly very dominant presence in her mind demanded blood, so her body obeyed with metal, spreading ruby streaks across the doll-like porcelain skin, and oh, kuso, she was out of weapons, no matter, she could use her hands, and her hands drew fire from her spirit, and that useless woman was doomed now, along with her friends, and white skin smoldered red, such a pretty color, then black, and oh, that was the most charming combination ever, and there was so much flame, fire, _fire_ within her, and she had to let it out, it was such a _beautiful_ thing, and-

"Tenten! _**Stop**_! That's enough – she was dead long ago! Stop, Tenten, **STOP**!" A voice rang clearly through the crimson haze surrounding her mind. Tenten…was she 'Tenten'? That voice, warm, and, so familiar… Images flashed continuously, green clothes, dark, thick eyebrows… a name she…couldn't remember.

"Tenten…! Please, stop." The strained tones of this tenor were different. Something told her this was someone else, and the pictures now were of long hair, brown, a cold, detached voice, along with those…lovely, stunning white eyes, a snowy blanket she could drown herself in, dousing her fire, but somehow, this was okay, because this was…

…_Neji_…

The name echoed across a chasm of time, space, and eternity, drawing her back from the inferno that was her birth and would be her grave, their pulls threatening to tear her apart, but he was the stronger. She felt the heat recede, and for the first time in a deceitfully long while, although her eyes had been open for the entirety, she could see, and the burning wreck of the forest was in sudden clarity, awakening the monster again, but no, there were arms around her, quieting the being, and then a face that she had just seen within her memories filled her vision.

All she focused on were those pearl-like orbs, so comforting, despite the irony that everyone else insisted they were infinitely cold, but maybe it was because of that iciness that she calmed, engulfed in her own blaze, as she was.

The lips below the colorless eyes moved, (_And such perfect lips they were!_ a stray thought ventured,) but no sound reached her numbed senses. She tried to read them, but nothing could function, those silent words that she longed to know. Instead, she read his eyes, and they were much easier, everything falling into familiar words: Pain, helplessness, _fear_, and something bordering on the edge of desperation.

"_Is he afraid for me, or of me?"_ She wondered idly, and the last thing she would recollect before falling to a mercifully deadened sensation of darkness was a soft voice, which only later would she recognize as her own, choking out, "Neji…"

**TBC...**

--

Yes, TBC. I am evil, no? Don't worry, Tenten's not dead. Next chapter is Suzaku's debut! And she will prove to be very..._different _from our expectations. XD Mwahahaha...

We meet Gaara in the next chapter, too. He is not yet Kazekage, and still has Shukaku.

Oh, and I need help on Japanese language! Could someone please tell me how to say,

-Sister! (younger)  
-Brother! (younger)

**Gaara:** -_blinks_- I still have Shukaku? Damn authoress...

**Falcon:** Nooooo... Don't say that... because I love you, Gaara! -_maniacal gleam_-

**Gaara:** -_glares_- If I kiss you, will you burn the baby pictures?

**Falcon:** Maybe...

-dun dun dun...to find out the rest of the side story of Falcon vs. Gaara, review! (or just wait for the next chapter. XP)-


	3. Hello

Yesh! At last, Suzaku. Except...he's not quite what was expected. XD

Enjoy!

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Shichibi no Suzaku

-

**_Hello  
_**

Black.

There was only pitch darkness, all around her.

_Is it night?_ Tenten thought for a moment, before quickly dismissing the notion. No, nighttime was the hue of black bordering on blue, while this…this was tinted with _red_.

_If it's not night, then I must be dead_. Strangely, she came to the conclusion peacefully, with no hint of panic. If this was death, then it wasn't so bad, after all. Maybe she wasn't afraid because some part of her insisted that no, this was not the afterlife. Heaven wasn't lightless.

Was it?

Oh god. The weapon's mistress' eyes widened as her cloudy mind began to function again. No, Heaven was not black and crimson…Heaven was anything but black and crimson.

…But Hell was. Had she unintentionally remained unconscious throughout the judgment? Oh god oh god oh god. (Actually, Tenten didn't even really believe in a supreme deity. Nevertheless, the way things seemed to be processing now, she didn't have much of a choice…)

She didn't think she had ever done anything worth being punished for eternity for.

Unless…

No! Being a kunoichi was her job! She couldn't help it if it involved ending the lives of others. Oh shit…What if it didn't matter? Killing was still killing! And –

_Boom._

What was that? All her senses, prepared from a lifetime of training, snapped to attention. She could've sworn the ground trembled. Now that the muted noise had disrupted her worrying, she noticed a ring of dull burgundy light emanating from what seemed like the end of a tunnel. Tenten wanted to smack herself upside the head for not noting it beforehand.

_Boom._

Ah, there it was again. The resonance all but screamed menace. Running a few meters forward, she realized that, yes, the light definitely seemed significantly larger. Or maybe that was just a hallucination born of her mind, now frantic, for the initial shock had worn off. Perhaps she was doomed to ceaselessly run toward the end, whilst never reaching the destination…No! It existed, was real, it _had_ to be real. She was not dead, of course not: her breaths still came in a ragged pant, as though she had just engaged in strenuous battle.

_**Boom**._

The faint crescendo of noise brought with it a new wave of dread, as well as an increasing power to the shaking of the vicinity. The thuds were methodical, reminiscent of some great beasts' heartbeat. Jogging nimbly toward the luminosity that she feared would vanish at any given moment, Tenten's jaw dropped when she rounded the corner.

Before her were the biggest pillars she had ever beheld in her life, forged of a dark, unnamed metal, chakra crackling sinisterly along the entirety of its height. Ensnared behind it, flames burned untamed, grasping for an topless roof, obscuring her view. She knew the images would haunt her memories forever. Her thoughts began running unchecked, screaming: This is Hell, it's all over -

Then the fire changed.

It wasn't like the way a normal blaze swayed and sputtered. No, the entire fire…_shifted_, as though resting upon a platform: higher…higher…before they came crashing down again, accompanied by the echo evocative of a muffled drum.

_**Boom**._

The vibrations. No, it was not the earth that was quivering – it was the _air_. The force rendered by the movement sent shudders of searing wind lancing out, and this time, no longer sheltered in the tunnel, Tenten suffered the whole surge of burning intensity without warning. She squeezed her eyes shut, anticipating pain.

None came. Instead, a curiously tingling sensation made it's way across her skin, and she realized subconsciously that the heat was identifying her, crawling about her, as if somehow ensuring that this was the right person.

As it turned out, she was apparently deemed acceptable, for after an uncomfortable period of time, the warmth subsided, leaving her feeling peculiarly incomplete. Tenten allowed one eye open to a slit, before both flew open in another bout of astonishment.

Despite the fact that the scene facing her was roughly the same as moments before, the picture appeared distinctly altered to her newly adjusted eyes. Those flames from before, those were no insignificant sparks. They…those were huge _wings._ And the two intensely bright suns that pierced her senses, how could she have missed the lidless eyes? If this was Hell, she knew she would never look at birds the same way again. Gradually, the outline of an ginger beak appeared, and as Tenten remained immobile as a effigy, the scorching wings descended one more time, but, instead of colliding with the ground, lifting the being heavenward, to the absent sky, to her namesake.

Tenten caught a glimpse of the enormous feathery tails before they departed from her vision. Seven. Seven-tails. An anomalous impression of déjà vu struck her, and, racking her remembrance for the memory, she shrieked when the Fire Bird alighted gracefully in front of her. It had to be at least ten times her size.

"But…the cage…" Tenten murmured to herself. Recovering swiftly, she snarled, "Who the _hell_ are you?"

One burning eye exhibited a flicker of otherworldly wisdom, before it rumbled,

_**I am Shichibi no Suzaku, Tenten-sama. I am pleased to meet my vessel. **_

Tenten didn't find it necessary for the accent to be so ceremonial. Its voice held a note of finality, reverberating through her mind. There was a deceptive gentleness that overshadowed darker undertones. Judging from pitch alone, she guessed it was male.

"…um…Hello, Suzaku-san. So you're the presence in my mind." The girl was determined to prohibit fear from overcoming courtesy. In one of the recesses of her mind, she wondered where on earth the orchestra of dramatic music in the background had erupted from.

The great creature seemed not to hear. The tone increased dramatically, wings unfurling.

_**Yes, Suzaku, the seventh of the legendary Biju! Fear the wrath of me, for my powers scope the farthest corners of the Earth and Sky, and –**_

It suddenly broke off into a wheezing fit. The sound effects wound down to a depressing _wan wan wan…._

Tenten gaped. The respect that she was beginning to develop for the creature dwindled with the music.

In the midst of her confusion, the wings and body all shrunk down, great bonfires contracting into smoldering coals. When Suzaku looked up again, it reached up to the girl's waistline, with a regular, albeit brilliant, plumage, and beheld her with the beady black gaze akin to normal bird.

Tenten stared.

And stared.

And stared some more, before Suzaku resumed coughing again. When he'd finished, he looked up and remarked cheerfully, as if discussing the weather,

_**You know, I never liked that big, fiery costume. Far too fussy for my tastes.**_

The bun-headed girl could've cried then. That's how disturbed she was.

"You CANNOT be the Shichibi." She wailed.

The bird gasped, feigning hurt,

_**How dare you! Of course I am. See? **_

It turned around and wiggled its butt, where seven lengthy, ruby feathers trembled, just barely attached, in the general direction of her face.

Tenten snapped.

Being forced through a painful recreation of Hell? That she could handle. Having a mighty flaming monster crash down in front of her and give her a heart attack? Sure, why not. Watching as said big mighty flaming monster becomes a barbecue chicken? Makes her hungry, but okay.

However, having that little brat that's a disgrace to bird-dom shake its ASS in her face?

**No way.**

Suzaku turned around when the ominous sound of a fist meeting the palm of a hand rang through the now silent clearing.

Tenten looked down at the Biju, cracking her knuckles, an evil gleam forming in her eyes.

In a tone that would have made the devil proud, she roared, **"You. Are. An. Idiot."**

And beat up the chicken renown as the third most perilous demon in the world.

--

When Suzaku had finally recovered with nothing worse than a black eye, he chirruped,

_**Well, that introduction went a little better than I hoped. I can still stand up. So, any questions?**_

He was met with a glare that could've melted stone.

"Yes, actually. Why the hell am I stuck with you?"

Suzaku beamed.

_**That's more like it. Weeeeell, that would be because we have many things in common. For example, I like barbecue chicken.**_

At this he earned a weird glance from a now sweatdropping Tenten. _Isn't that called cannibalism?_

**_Let's see, and I like the desert, ooh! And _dessert_! As well as pumpkins and hot guys. Especially if they have pink tail feathers. NO! Don't punch me! I won't steal Neji!_**

He cringed and curled up into a fetal position as best as a bird can.

The Jinchuriki blinked, mercifully not yet comprehending that last sentence. "There's such things as gay chicken?"

_**Huh? I'm not a homosexual. What do you mean?**_

The girl slowed her voice down, as though talking to someone with bad hearing, "Guys who like guys are considered gay. You just said you like guys. You ARE a guy. Therefore –"

However, she never got to finish her sentence because Suzaku began bawling at that moment.

**_I'm NOT A GUY!_**

Tenten never thought she'd see a Tailed demon blubber.

_**Why does EVERYONE think I'm a boy? I am most definitely FEMALE! Just look at my beautiful plumage and big eyes. I am FAR too PRETTY to be a man! And I AM NOT GAY!**_

Little tears began leaking from hi - HER eyes.

The weapons mistress looked on, nonplussed. "Now that's just sad."

Suzaku sniffed pitifully.

_**Yes. It is.**_

"………!"

Tenten had finally reached the depressing conclusion that she would just have to deal with a useless, crybaby, mentally disturbed creature who had no understanding of sarcasm in her head. She'd been through worse. Yeah. This would be easy compared to stuffing Neji into a Santa suit. Yeah!

Deciding to be kind and offering a tissue that had materialized from thin air, she asked restrainedly, "So, what about your powers?"

She nearly screamed again when Suzaku immediately turned chibi, the river of tears now nonexistent. Her voice was that of an eager child in a toy store.

_**YAY! Okay, I like burning bodies the most. Oh, and causing sandstorms, and scaring people with my uber-cool theatrical costume, and basically killing in general. I mean, killing is so fun! Yeah! Their skin turns funky colors. And when they scream their last words, they say odd things. Besides, I get to eat their souls.**_

Tenten felt her blood run cold. Suzaku's childish voice and carefree physique made the words even more perverse.

After a moment of chilly silence, she ventured, "You're not as innocent as you pretend, as you?"

Suzaku smiled in that uncanny way of hers, a forked tongue flickering in and out. For the first time, Tenten unearthed malevolence in the charming gesture, and could finally imagine why this creature was so feared.

_**No. I'm not. **_She answered.

"…You don't like humans, do you?"

Suzaku regarded her with one beady eye, the insight known only to a soul eternally ensnared within the sands of time shining in that lightless sphere.

_**No. I don't. Now go, before I tire of you, as well.**_

As Tenten felt her dreamlike mass drifting away from her, she heard Suzaku call,

_And next time, bring cookies!_

--

"Tenten…TENTEN!" The voice was coming from behind her. Tenten forced open bleary eyelids and shut her now parched mouth.

"Who…? How?" She noted that she was sitting upright on the ground, a gray blanket draped over her from the waist down, as though she had been sleeping.

Turning over, chocolate met ice. Recalling a moment from a misleadingly short time ago, her face glowed a soft crimson. Hoping he would blame it on a fever or such, she asked,

"Ah, how long have I been out, Neji?"

Looking upon her now, trusting and…_normal_, the Hyuuga suppressed the shiver that threatened to make its way down his spine. He was clueless on how to approach her after the unusually chaotic afternoon.

"Actually, you've only been asleep for a few hours. Wait, hey! What are you doing?"

But Tenten had already begun rolling the blanket up.

Neji knelt before her, and was that a hint of worry in his cloudy eyes? "Tenten…are you sure you're okay? You…overexerted yourself a bit today."

Tenten stared at the gray cloth, mind elsewhere, refusing to meet his stare.

"Yes. I'm fine. Let's move. We need to get out of here." She could smell the blackened corpses, half a mile away. Suzaku trembled in horrifying keenness. The girl feared for her sanity and the safety of her friends if they did not put more distance between them.

Looking at her fingers, which he had never recalled trembling before, Neji asked no more questions and left to wake Lee, to her immense relief.

Within the hour, they were gone, all remains of the passing erased from the area.

--

"Yosh! Suna brims with youthful grace and beauty!" Lee gawked at the buildings of the city in awe. The material used for the majority of them were tan, giving one the impression that the edifices were all formed from millennia of sand sculpted by the Earth's greatest artisan, Wind.

"Careful, Lee. Don't draw too much attention to yourself." Neji cautioned under his breath, but he, too, was glancing at the structures appreciatively. This was the trio's first trip to the city, and many of Sunagakure's constructions were legends in the architectural world.

Tenten was quieter than usual, tucking their phony day passes for marketing away. Suna did not seem as surprisingly new as it should have. Her mind was beginning to feel trickles of foreign memories – she assumed they were Suzaku's, gathered through the centuries she had lived.

Before the girl had a chance to examine all the rather interesting new information she was receiving, Lee's voice broke into her train of thoughts.

"Oi! Gaara-san!" It seemed their green-clad teammate had temporarily forgotten the mission at seeing the familiar gourd that discerned the redhead. Tenten couldn't blame him. Gaara and Lee were as close to friends as Gaara let anyone get.

When the boy turned around, however, Tenten felt as though a bolt of lightning had struck her. Sure, she had seen the lined sea green eyes before, but now, there was something else behind the exotic colors: a vague shape that could only mean one person.

The girl lost control of her body then, and her legs yielded to another one's pull from her mind, racing to cover the short distance between them. A tearful voice that was distinctly her own, but could _not_ belong to her, poignantly cried…

_"Oniichan!"_

…before she glomped him.

--**  
**

**TBC...**

---------------

Wheee! I hope you like Suzaku. I needed some humor in the fic, but I didn't want Suzaku to seem weak or too nice. So she's a scary, god-like, questionable-gendered, barbecue chicken killer. Yeah! I personally think she turned out pretty cool, but if you think I messed her up big time, tell me please. If a lot of you hate it, I might edit the chapter.

Did you guys understand that last little bit? If you did, good job! If you didn't that's okay, ask me in your review, or maybe someone might already have the answer posted in the reviews. (Here's a hint: This is **Gaara**. Gaara is also...?) If you still don't get it, there's another hint in the previous chapter.

If you STILL don't get it, then just wait until the next chappie comes out. XD

Review and I'll love you! Don't review, and I'll still love you! (Just not as much...just kidding.) Let's try to get 60 reviews!


	4. Interlude: Brother

Note One: Yes, Suzaku takes the form of a chicken as her usual medium. She'll be the scary Biju as well as the lovable comic relief.

Note Two: I tried to make the characters more grown up, and tried to make that not too OOC. I hope I didn't fail, haha. Neji's a bit more understanding, Lee a bit less comical, and Gaara a bit less bloodthirsty sans battle.

Note Three: Shukaku is the oldest because he has a potbelly. Period. I know Kyuubi's stronger, but ever notice how Shukaku has flabby fat like a middle-aged man while Kyuubi is lean like a teen? Just a thought. XD

Okay? I hope that cleared up a few things. On with the story!

**READ THE NOTES, please! :**

**Shichibi no Suzaku**

**_Interlude: Brother_**

"Oniichan!" The bun-haired girl happily lodged her arms around the unsuspecting redhead's throat. After about ten seconds of tense silence:

"Um…Tenten? I think now would be a good time to let go." Lee sweatdropped, seeing as Gaara's face was beginning to tint the color of his eyes.

However, it seemed that there was no need. Suzaku had decided at that exact moment that she should probably release the body, although that decision was somewhat persuaded by inner chibi Tenten banging on inner Suzaku's head with a disproportionably large mallet, whilst squealing, "Lemme go, you big chicken!"

Of course, "that exact moment" left Tenten in a rather awkward situation.

Gaara seemed to have regained some shred of his dignity. "…Let go."

Tenten's barely functioning brain was surprised. He had changed indeed if she had not been slaughtered on the spot.

Meanwhile, her body still held on for dear life, not realizing that she was now carrying on of her free will, until one brown eye peeked open.

"ACK! Gomen kudasai Gaara-san! I, uh, I, um…honestly have no idea how to explain that. But I'm sorry nonetheless!" She added quickly after seeing his eyes narrow perceptibly. Tenten sidled meekly back to stand with her teammates, as Neji turned to glare at a handful of curious citizens drawn to the scene.

Gaara turned around, motioning for her to follow, muttering as he went, "You have a helluva lotta explaining to do."

They did not notice the pair of beady eyes following them.

When they'd finally found a generally sanitary alley, the kohl eyed shinobi turned into it, Tenten following compliantly behind. She would've been raging at Suzaku, but when her inner self turned to confront the demon, she'd only been met with the picture of a wooden door, hung with a sign reading: **Working. Enter and die screaming.**

The girl had backed away quickly after that.

Once the four had all settled, leaning against the walls, Lee temporarily stunned speechless, and Neji with an eyebrow raised, Gaara simply surveyed the teen before him, waiting patiently. After grasping the fact that she wasn't comprehending his cue, he coughed lightly, causing her to jump.

"Ah, right. About the…tackle." She gulped nervously, fingers dancing in a refined version of Hinata's habit. "You see…I have this…person inside of me, and she's kinda, sorta odd, per say– "

However, her halting explanation was oh-so-rudely cut off by the abnormally humanoid screech of an arriving sparrow.

"– _**Yet I am one of the greatest of the sagacious Biju, who simply wanted to see her beloved brother!"**_The critter perched upon one of the kunoichi's buns, much to her chagrin. When, immediately following the one-line speech, it ruined the effect with a hacking fit, Tenten's suspicions were sadly confirmed.

_CLANG._ All three boys' jaws dropped in a memorable spectacle, Gaara's with a force so great in dug a small crater in the earth. This was mostly thanks to the fact that Shukaku in his mind was sobbing, **"NO! Not **_**HER**_**! ANYTHING but **_**HER**_before subsiding into silence.

For a demon feared by the masses to be cowering from a little barbecue birdie. Rather disheartening, don't you think?

The weapon's mistress sorrowfully regretted not bringing her camera along.

Fortunately, Neji recovered promptly, at least enough to point toward the blur of orange atop her head and gape, "What IS it?"

Slightly annoyed that they were all staring at her like some circus freak, Tenten snapped a hand up and caught the bird by the neck with an arm now lightning quick, speed enhanced by irritation.

"**Su. Za. Ku."** The boys cringed at each syllable, aware of the killing aura, and having enough intellect to know that it was not a brilliant idea to hang around pissed women. Each had deplorably learned the fact the hard way.

However, the Fire demon was not a _complete_ idiot. (She was a girl, after all, and most definitely was not as dense as those males! Hmph!) Suzaku had learned from her last black eye, and didn't particularly fancy another one. Plan B was to commence.

Taking a deep breath, (well, as deep as she can with a hand crushing her windpipe,) the bird shrieked, "_**Shukaku! Get your fat ass over here!"**_

Tenten nearly fainted when a chibi tanuki ran into the area.

The extremely pregnant silence between the four was broken only by the squabbling of the two animals before them.

"_Whaddya mean I gave you a heart attack? You're growing old, oniichan! That potbelly fat is finally starting to go to your head!"_ The sparrow mocked rudely.

"**Oh yeah imouto? Well I bet you still burn stores down just to steal their cookies! With all your snacking, one day, you'll look like me!"** Shukaku's quick reply earned him a death glare.

Suzaku pouted, _"Will NOT, fatty! And in case you don't recall, dear oniichan, YOU were my partner in crime then!"_

"**Well at least my sense of fashion isn't as depleted as yours: Red and orange? Psh!"**

"_Oh look who's talking. Blue cracked veins are SO last year, baka!"_

"**Grr…don't you DARE diss the veins!" **

And thus a fistfight (or, in this case, and paw-vs.-wing fight) broke out.

Edging away from the ensuing chaos, Tenten made sure Lee and Neji weren't dead of shock before wandering up to the other Jinchuriki. Looking at him now, with the knowledge that she, too, was a vessel just like him caused her to see the boy in a decidedly positive new light. The black lining of his eyes gave him a distinctive appearance, not freakish, but deliciously exotic. Idly, she mused if she, too, should begin calling him oniichan, just for the pleasure of irritating him.

It slipped out before she could stop it. "Can you feel him…_onnichan_?"

Gaara, on the other hand, had been pondering the effect that this girl and her bird had had on Shukaku's bloodthirsty demeanor. Was this another one of _them_? His reverie was broken by that same girl's voice, and he looked up, startled, before whispering just as fiercely back, "Who?"

The girl growled impatiently. "Don't play dumb! You know who: your Sand demon. Or, as chicken-chan seems to prefer dubbing him, the potbelly fat ass. Can you feel his presence in your head?"

Gaara gazed piercingly at her with oceanic eyes, somewhat amused by her tough-girl mind-set, before seemingly coming to a resolution of wary trust. "No. Apparently he's…busy. I take you are the carrier of Suzaku "chicken-chan", dear little imouto?"

The stray strand of thought that his eyes were prettier than the actual aquamarine sea caused her to take more offence than necessary from the playful taunt. She glared at him with a skill acquired from years of challenging futile staring contests with the king of all death glares, Hyuuga Neji.

However, the childish phrase that she uttered in retort spoiled all the effects of the potent glower.

"I am _not _little. I'm older than you." Tenten's bottom lip sneaked forward, the warning signs of severe sulking beginning to show.

Gaara scoffed at the otherwise endearing action. Stepping up so that he stood in front of her, he smirked, "Yeah? But I'm taller than you."

She raised her head up, and stood on tippytoes to reach his eye level, not realizing her face had gravitated toward his. Subconsciously, her mind noted the soft breath brushing past her cheek held the faint scent of oranges and summer, the thought pausing her movement briefly, so that before she had a chance to blow him a raspberry, a shrill feminine "hi-YAH" was heard, and Shukaku's miniature tanuki went sailing past their ears before crashing into the bricks with an alarming _crunch_.

Tenten winced in sympathy, drawing back her head and instantly missing the warm air. "Woe are we…Jinchuriki." The word tasted strange on her tongue. "If I recall correctly, the legends didn't _quite_ describe them like this. But apparently your feared demonic maniac is a bigger idiot than mine."

_So she is one, then. _Gaara dragged his gaze away from the temporarily dazed Shukaku medium, which had recovered and scampered toward its imouto, and back to chocolate brown eyes. A nonexistent eyebrow shot up. "Oh? Do elaborate."

Her features formed a mischievous smirk, chipping a fragment from his icy exterior. "Blue veins _are_ SO last year."

The boy's lips lifted again, however, their…unique "bonding" conversation was abruptly terminated, courtesy once more of the creatures their respective demons had chosen to posses. Both bird and raccoon-dog had swirls for eyes and were gurgling happily, with a few hiccups to break the gibberish. Surrounding them, Tenten noticed a few empty bottles of sake strewn.

Knowing it could only have been a last resort supply of her pro-spandex teammate's, Tenten turned slowly around and snarled in her best poltergeist voice, **"Lee-ee-ee…"**

However, before she had the satisfying opportunity to pound the cowering boy into a bloody pulp, a strong grip stayed her arm. Turning to see a familiar angled face, she couldn't meet the pearly eyes that were focused on the frolicking bird. Neji turned to her, his gaze painfully devoid of anger or awe. She understood his unasked question.

Tenten's throat tightened, despite the overwhelming sensation to explain. "…Please don't hate me. I didn't know how to tell-"

The plea was ceased when a large hand found the back of her head and soothingly pressed her face into his pine-scented torso. The silent comprehension undermined words, and her arms reached around to complete the hug, despite the nagging itch in the girl's mind that was still concentrated on another, red-haired man.

But of course, Shichibi no Suzaku, being the meddlesome mind reader she was, came to the rescue of her container's confused heart. For suddenly, the secretly sober sparrow literally burst into song, dragging a rather off-key raccoon in with her:

"_**I love you, you love me, we're a pyromaniac killer fa-mi-lyyyy, with a -**_ " And of course, Suzaku again simply being who she is, broke off into a coughing fit.

All four ninja faceplanted, and Tenten backed away from Neji's one-handed embrace. After a moment, Lee's muffled voice speculated, "You know, for some reason, those aren't the exact lyrics I remember from Barney…scratch that, _none_ of this, including you guys-" He stood up, and pointed at the two animals, "are what we…anticipated."

Tenten throat cleared of it's own accord, and she stood rooted to the spot as Suzaku's knowledge floated from her lips. "Well, you see…Suzaku – and, by the looks of it, the entire Biju family, have, uh…how to I put it? …A complicated variety of appearances."

Holding an arm out, the sparrow took the offered roost, while Shukaku clambered into its Jinchuriki's arms. After a moment, both "poofed" and vanished, while the two carriers felt the familiar presences in their consciousnesses again.

"This appears to be their form when they are detached from our bodies, vastly different from their very intimidating manifestation in our minds, and I guess, while warring. Um, I think they can take on half-demon forms as well; it hasn't happened to me, but I've seen Gaara here in such a predicament with Shukaku once." She looked toward him for confirmation, and he nodded just detectably.

"So, that's about it." She paced over to her teammates. "We'd better leave now, Gaara-san."

The Sand shinobi didn't move. "You are here for the birds, right?"

Neji stared expressionlessly, "Birds? I'm afraid you'll have to expand on that."

Gaara sighed in exasperation, "Don't feign idiocy. It's not becoming. There's only two birds in Sunagakure that might prove interesting to Konoha."

When all three tensed up, he hastily added, "The woman is not with our government plans. I've been curious to see what the issue surrounding her is as well."

Tentatively, Lee ventured, "So you wish to…journey with us?"

Gaara nodded again. It was part of the truth. In actuality, he was more interested in the Shichibi than the birds, but if Konoha was sending nin to investigate, there possibly was a greater threat than they'd expected.

The Hyuuga stiffened – he hadn't any past interactions with the man, and wasn't quite at ease. Or at least, that's what he convinced himself. His female teammate noticed, and rested a hand on his forearm in warning. The movement was in Gaara's defense, and Neji felt an absurd wave of dislike emerge for the redhead. Fighting it down with minor difficulty, he forced himself to maintain a polite acquaintance with him, if only for Tenten's sake.

"Hn. Let's go, then. They're said to be currently stationed in the east side of the village." Byakugen user coldly turned his back on the sand shinobi, and strode away, Lee following him. Tenten flashed an apologetic look behind her, motioning for him to follow quickly, before she, too, sped off.

**TBC…**

Okay, this bit had little main plot, but I had to station the beginnings of the love triangle. Gaara, without a doubt, needs her more, while Neji and Tenten are simply the star-crossed couple.

Prepare for another surprise in the next chapter! I'll give you a hint: The chapter name is _**Mother**_. And no, it is not Tenten.

And on with the tale of Gaara vs. Falcon!

**Gaara: **Stupid authoress. Gimme back the baby pictures!

**Falcon:** Bad boy! You remember our deal.

**Gaara: **-_veins_ _pop_- You're an idiot. ­–_kisses Falcon on the cheek_-

**Falcon:** Hey! I meant on the lips!

**Gaara:** -_smirks_- You didn't elaborate…baka. Now, the pics.

**Falcon:** -_hands over pictures_- FINE! Two can play at this game.

**Gaara:** ?

**Falcon:** I still have the negatives! –**Mwahahahahaha**!-

Anyways. Reviews are appreciated!


End file.
